There's a reason our action movie clichés became clichés, and this film utilizes that fun!

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2013)

I understand why many have shrugged off this movie, but I feel like they're missing the point. This is an action film of "Robots vs. Godzilla" that utilizes every cliché just for the fun of being able to. To me, it seems like del Toro wanted to have a bit of fun, but still managed to pull off a little bit of camp without a healthy helping of cheese.
Yes, some of the characters are cliché. There are stoic kung fu triplets, harsh blonde Russians, hopelessly clueless governments, and an over-the-top black market dealer. While some characters are far too heavy handed as to be annoying (looking at you, nerdy neurotic science duo), most are cliché enough to be fun, but the viewer still cares about their deaths and/or is drawn into the tension of their near death experiences. I was surprised that I felt a little bummed when the first character died, about 10 minutes into the film, which I find rare in most modern action films. And in an age when so many action movies care more about how much their monsters can destroy, (looking at you, Man of Steel) rather than a little character development, I can live with a little unoriginality in favor of a good old fashioned, if totally predictable, cinematic arc.